Pulling a trailer with my f-150

how far I can push the GCCW? I know I realy should have a 3/4 ton but I dont, if I put a 351 in what would that do and should I stiffen my suspendtion? How about swithing the rear dif. to a 4.10 Right now My trailer rating in 3600Lb not much for a truck. Do you think I canget away with hauling 5000 or 6000lb even If I have to put a new engine in soon. I dont need to be doing 70mph or any thing Just to make the 900 mile trip. thanks to any one with an opinion. Jim ====================== A 4.10 will help alot, you dont need to worry about the engine, if the temp stays low it will live. its the tranny that will cook. Keep it in the lowest gear you can stand (esp on hills.) If you can manage to keep the torque converter locked up it will stay ALOT cooler, do this by choosing a lower gear. You better put a big trans cooler on it too, that will help. With a trans cooler and a little babying, you will most likely be ok. Oh, and make damn sure the trailer brakes are working too.

At how much weight each? That has to be put into the total load you are going to haul. I do not think your 150 is set up to handle the weight in the areas of brakes and suspension. A horse trailer is a lot of weight on the brakes, axle bearings and springs. Just to name a few items. The transmission can take a beating as well. 900 miles is a long way from home to have a axle break or bearing fail. Just a word of caution.

The limit is what is in writing on the VIN plate and in your owners manual. It is not being enforced as of yet, but it looks to be soon. Most all states ( I believe only two do not ) use what is called the Uniform Traffic Code. As of now Florida is working to make private combination vehicles follow DOT regulations on combination vehicles. A combination vehicle is a tow vehicle with a trailer, so you will fit that category. Something to watch for in the near future.

that do and should I stiffen my suspendtion? How about swithing the rear dif. to a 4.10 Right now My trailer rating in 3600Lb not much for a truck. Do you think I canget away with hauling 5000 or 6000lb even If I have to put a new engine in soon. I dont need to be doing 70mph or any thing Just to make the 900 mile trip. thanks to any one with an opinion. Jim

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how far I can push the GCCW? I know I realy should have a 3/4 ton but I dont, if I put a 351 in what would that do and should I stiffen my suspendtion? How about swithing the rear dif. to a 4.10 Right now My trailer rating in 3600Lb not much for a truck. Do you think I canget away with hauling 5000 or 6000lb even If I have to put a new engine in soon. I dont need to be doing 70mph or any thing Just to make the 900 mile trip. thanks to any one with an opinion. Jim

Rent a Ryder or U-Haul cube van as a "local" (which means you are returning it to the same place you rented it from) and don't bother making such modifications to your own truck. I think you will be ahead $-wise even with

1800+ miles on the rental as opposed to taking a wrench to your F-150 with questionable end results... and safety margins to boot.

Rob

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how far I can push the GCCW? I know I realy should have a 3/4 ton but I dont, if I put a 351 in what would that do and should I stiffen my suspendtion? How about swithing the rear dif. to a 4.10 Right now My trailer rating in 3600Lb not much for a truck. Do you think I canget away with hauling 5000 or 6000lb even If I have to put a new engine in soon. I dont need to be doing 70mph or any thing Just to make the 900 mile trip. thanks to any one with an opinion. Jim

Rent a Ryder or U-Haul cube van as a "local" (which means you are returning it to the same place you rented it from) and don't bother making such modifications to your own truck. I think you will be ahead $-wise even with

1800+ miles on the rental as opposed to taking a wrench to your F-150 with questionable end results... and safety margins to boot.

Rob

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Look at your ball. Its probably 4 feet from your axle. Cut off the back of the truck to the spring hangers. Mount the ball as close to the axle as you can get. Try for a foot. Then cut the truck in half and add two feet or so in the middle for a longer wheelbase. Then a new steel bed to add some weight to the tow vehicle. A new differential with duals would be good. Make sure the transmission has a good cooler. Make sure the trailer has good brakes.

You really need a much heavier duty truck than that for what you're wanting to do. If you haul 5-6k pounds with the trailer, and add the weight of the truck, you'll see you have your brakes heavily overloaded. The transmission in that light of an F-150 is the same used in the Crown Victoria! Add to the fact that you have the smallest V-8 offered in that model year by Ford and you have a major problem, imho. That's not to mention the light duty axle, springs, etc.

CJ

how far I can push the GCCW? I know I realy should have a 3/4 ton but I dont, if I put a 351 in what would that do and should I stiffen my suspendtion? How about swithing the rear dif. to a 4.10 Right now My trailer rating in 3600Lb not much for a truck. Do you think I canget away with hauling 5000 or 6000lb even If I have to put a new engine in soon. I dont need to be doing 70mph or any thing Just to make the 900 mile trip. thanks to any one with an opinion. Jim

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I advise thinking of a different way to get your horses moved around....

why dump tons of money in a 96 truck to try and make a mountain out of an ant hill....

Trade your truck in.. go get a nice f250 / 350 that can handle the towing.. and away you go...

how far I can push the GCCW? I know I realy should have a 3/4 ton but I dont, if I put a 351 in what would that do and should I stiffen my suspendtion? How about swithing the rear dif. to a 4.10 Right now My trailer rating in 3600Lb not much for a truck. Do you think I canget away with hauling 5000 or 6000lb even If I have to put a new engine in soon. I dont need to be doing 70mph or any thing Just to make the 900 mile trip. thanks to any one with an opinion. Jim

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I wouldn't recommend renting a "local" U-haul truck to tow a 2-3 horse trailer 1800 miles. They retire the one-way trucks to local duty when the trucks get old enough not to be reliable for long hauls.

Jeremy

far I can push the GCCW? I know I realy should have a 3/4 ton but I dont, if I put a 351 in what would that do and should I stiffen my suspendtion? How about swithing the rear dif. to a 4.10 Right now My trailer rating in 3600Lb not much for a truck. Do you think I canget away with hauling 5000 or 6000lb even If I have to put a new engine in soon. I dont need to be doing 70mph or any thing Just to make the 900 mile trip. thanks to any one with an opinion. Jim

You might try asking your question on rec.outdoors.rv-travel if you are not faint of heart. At least ten respondents will gleefully invoke every possible denigrating word and phrase at their disposal to impart upon you the less-than-wise idea of compromising the GCWR.

how far I can push the GCCW? I know I realy should have a 3/4 ton but I dont, if I put a 351 in what would that do and should I stiffen my suspendtion? How about swithing the rear dif. to a 4.10 Right now My trailer rating in 3600Lb not much for a truck. Do you think I canget away with hauling 5000 or 6000lb even If I have to put a new engine in soon. I dont need to be doing 70mph or any thing Just to make the 900 mile trip. thanks to any one with an opinion. Jim

thought of putting this message on the group, but thought better of it.

Thank's All for you wise input.The fact that the truck is realy too small for my needs is the concultion I had come to be for posting. But thanks

for my needs is the concultion I had come to be for posting. But thanks

Then why did you post? There is nothing you can do, except get a bigger truck. And it sounds like you already knew that

far I can push the GCCW? I know I realy should have a 3/4 ton but I dont, if I put a 351 in what would that do and should I stiffen my suspendtion? How about swithing the rear dif. to a 4.10 Right now My trailer rating in 3600Lb not much for a truck. Do you think I canget away with hauling 5000 or 6000lb even If I have to put a new engine in soon. I dont need to be doing 70mph or any thing Just to make the 900 mile trip. thanks to any one with an opinion. Jim

If this is a one-time trip, rent a big Dodge 2500 or 3500 with that big V8. You want automatic and RWD(no 4*4*).

The Dodge 3500 with V8 and RWD says a 16,300 pound rating over on edmunds.com. The bed payload is 5000 lbs alone, on the dually model, so pulling a trailer 900 miles is a cinch.

Even the Dodge 1500 short wheelbase with the smallest engine is 8650 lbs.

Rent. Save the wear on the F150.